


Show and Tell

by thelooster



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gilbert is such a dork, I just love future Doctor Blythe, Shirley - Freeform, school shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 09:24:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15361353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelooster/pseuds/thelooster
Summary: A few months into his Charlottetown apprenticeship, Gilbert Blythe is excited to share some of his newfound medical knowledge with his classmates. However, when he gets the help of a beautiful, blonde assistant, Anne is not as enthusiastic.





	1. The Good Doctor

            Gilbert cleared his throat and tried not to focus on the dozens of classmates staring at him. One pair of bright blue eyes in particular seemed to burn through him. Taking a deep breath, Gilbert began his presentation. “For my show-and-tell, I’ve brought in some tools I’ve been using as Dr. Ward’s apprentice in Charlottetown.” Gilbert opened up his black satchel and began placing instruments on the table in the front of the classroom. “This is a reflex hammer. It’s used to test a patient’s, well, reflexes.” He held the small rubber triangle up so everyone could get a glimpse. “Next, we have the sphygmomanometer, a state-of-the-art scientific instrument that lets a physician measure someone’s blood pressure. Scientists have recently learned that if your blood pressure is too high or too low, it could lead to other medical issues.” The class gawked at the foreign-looking device as he held it up. Gilbert set it down before removing his final instrument. “Finally, my personal favorite, the stethoscope. A universal symbol of the medical field, the stethoscope allows doctors to listen to a patient’s heart and lungs and detect any abnormalities.” Gilbert carefully wrapped it around his neck and quickly surveyed his audience.

             Aside from Billy Andrew’s sneer, everyone seemed to be enjoying his presentation thus far, especially the girls. Most of them were sitting straight up, appearing to give him their fullest attention as they smiled demurely at him. Gilbert knew from experience, however, that these girls were more likely to be focusing on how to win his favor than the scientific principles he was sharing. All except Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, of course. Gilbert smiled as he watched her eyes fervently scan the scientific tools, gears visibly turning in her head as she puzzled how each device might work. Anne snapped out of her reverie as Gilbert addressed the class. “May I have a volunteer, please?”

            Gilbert saw Anne excitedly raise her hand, only to hastily drop it at the sound of a suspicious cough from Ruby Gillis, who was stretching so far out of her seat she was practically standing. Gilbert ignored his slight flare of disappointment and, hoping to avoid Ruby’s inevitable tears if she _wasn’t_ picked, invited the star-struck girl to the front. Ruby smoothed her skirts and quickly floated towards Gilbert, body buzzing with excitement. Gilbert pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit down. “Thank you, Ms. Gillis. First, I’ll test your reflexes.” Gilbert slightly tapped Ruby’s knee with the rubber hammer, only for her foot to launch into the air, narrowly missing Gilbert’s nose as the class erupted in laughter. Noticing Ruby’s scarlet blush, Gilbert tried to put her at ease. “Your reflexes are sharp as a cat, Ruby! I don’t think you need to worry about your sisters sneaking up on you any more.” He returned Ruby’s soft smile before moving on to the next demonstration.

            “The sphygmomanometer works by using air pressure to add resistance to the blood vessels in the arm, then slowly releasing the pressure and allowing blood to flow. The doctor uses the stethoscope to listen for the first pounding sound, which represents the systolic blood pressure. Then the doctor will note where the pounding stops, which is the diastolic blood pressure.” Gilbert took Ruby’s arm, wrapping the instrument around her left bicep and sliding his stethoscope beneath the device to rest on the fabric of her dress. He quickly pumped up the strap then began letting the pressure out, carefully watching the pressure gauge as Dr. Ward had taught him. When he was satisfied with his measurement, he quickly let the rest of the air out in a quick _whoosh._ “130 over 85. This is slightly higher than average, and can be related to stress, so maybe don’t worry so much about our next spelling exam. Right, Miss Stacy?” Gilbert was pleased to hear the class laugh at his joke, his eyes instinctively darting to Anne. She was steadfastly staring straight ahead, an almost pinched look on her face that Gilbert couldn’t quite place. He returned his focus to the beaming girl before him.

            “Ruby, if you wouldn’t mind standing? Thank you. The stethoscope can be used for a multitude of purposes, including chest exams and listening to breath sounds that can indicate any number of illnesses.” Gilbert didn’t miss the snicker that passed through the classroom at the words “chest exam.” Anne’s eyes suddenly bore into his. “Today, I’ll listen to Ruby’s breathing.” Anne relaxed slightly, as if she had just been holding her breath. Gilbert quickly moved his stethoscope to numerous locations on Ruby’s back, instructing her to take deep breaths as he listened. Though Gilbert had listened to several “normal lung sounds,” as Dr. Ward called them, he was surprised to hear a slight crackle. He made a mental note to ask his mentor about it during their next session. “Fantastic! Thank you for your help, Ruby. A round of applause for our brave patient.” Ruby beamed at him before scrambling back to her seat, immediately leaning over to whisper in Josie Pye’s ear. Gilbert ignored the poorly-hidden gossip and resumed his presentation. “Are there any questions?”

            Gilbert could tell just by glancing at her that Anne was nearly bursting with curiosity, but some strange force kept her silent. He called on his classmates, whose questions unfortunately lacked scope of imagination, as Anne would say. “No, Josie, you cannot hear a broken heart with a stethoscope.” “Yes, Moody, I have seen blood at the clinic.” “No, Charlie, doctors do not ever break their patient’s knees with the reflex hammer.”

            Miss Stacy quickly rescued Gilbert from the slew of childish questions. “ _Excellent_ work, Gilbert! Thank you for such a well-prepared and interactive presentation! Let’s give Gilbert a round of applause.” Gilbert ignored how Anne’s halfhearted clap disappointed him. He knew that English was her true passion, but he still thought Anne would have found it interesting, at least. Gilbert focused as Miss Stacy directed her comments to him. “What have been the most surprising and most challenging aspects of your apprenticeship with Dr. Ward?” Gilbert paused before giving a thoughtful answer.

            “The most surprising part has been realizing how much people appreciate just being cared for on an emotional level. Sometimes patients seem to feel better just by being listened to than receiving treatment. The most challenging part… well let’s just say I’m not the biggest fan of needles.” Gilbert self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck, aware of how his face was heating with the admission. Miss Stacy smiled at him and encouraged the class to give him a final round of applause before moving on to the next lesson.

            Gilbert carefully placed his tools back in his bag and returned to his seat. He tried to focus on Miss Stacy’s words, but the adrenaline of presenting made his head buzz. As usual, he found his distracted gaze hovering over to the fiery redhead at the front of the room. Gilbert was beyond grateful that he and Anne had put their past mistakes behind them, and he thought they had made great strides toward being genuine friends. However, there were still moments that completely confused Gilbert. One minute he thought Anne was interested in his vocation, and the next… well, maybe he shouldn’t give her the gift after all.


	2. The Better Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a tortuous day of waiting, Anne finally has the chance to ask Gilbert her many, many, MANY questions.

       Anne was positively in the throes of emotion. As she watched Gilbert practically _fawn_ over Ruby Gillis in front of the entire class, anger, excitement, jealousy, and admiration flashed through her soul like a tempest. Oh, how she’d wanted to volunteer! Anne found the field of medicine to be a fascinating subject, after all, and she yearned to understand how each of Gilbert’s instruments truly functioned. Just one deliberate cough from Ruby pulled Anne out of her fantasy, though. Though Anne had been part of the Avonlea community for two years now, she was still baffled by the complexities of schoolgirl politics. Couldn’t Anne just participate in Gilbert’s presentation for the sake of scientific curiosity? Obviously her desire had _nothing_ to do with the inevitable proximity to Gilbert or the way he tenderly wrapped Ruby’s arm with the sphygamo… sphygmomo… blood pressure thing! Her desire to volunteer did _not_ revolve around how Gilbert’s eyes seemed to brighten when he passionately described all the ways he had learned to predict and prevent disease. And she _certainly_ didn’t think that the way Gilbert reflexively wrapped the stethoscope around his neck like he was born to use it did anything to add to his objective attractiveness. No, Anne simply felt like she had missed out on a great academic opportunity, which perfectly explained why she alternated between staring straight ahead towards the board and following Gilbert’s every move as he tended to a mooning Ruby Gillis. Academic, indeed.

       Anne had to admit, it really was a fantastic presentation. Most students had simply brought in a doll or something from around their farmhouse to show-and-tell, which, in Anne’s opinion, lacked scope of imagination. Anne herself had not yet decided what she would bring to present to the class. Her unfortunate status as an orphan did not leave her with many earthly possessions worthy of sharing, and she was going to have to work even harder to impress Miss Stacy now that Gilbert had clearly blown her away. Anne’s wandering imagination snapped back to the ongoing presentation when she heard the class snicker as Gilbert mentioned “chest exams.” Anne met Gilbert’s gaze for an electricity-filled moment before watching in dismay as Ruby turned an even deeper shade of scarlet, only relaxing when Gilbert moved to Ruby’s back to listen to her breathe. Gilbert concluded his presentation, opening the floor for questions as Ruby returned to her seat. Anne didn’t miss the pointed look her blonde friend gave her during her walk, and she disappointedly resolved to stay quiet, even as Josie Pye and the rest of her childish peers asked ridiculous questions. Anne was impressed by the thoughtfulness and maturity of Gilbert’s response to Miss Stacy’s questions, but her overall disappointment dampened her applause.

       It just wasn’t _fair!_ If Josie Pye could ask a stupid question (broken hearts, indeed!), why couldn’t Anne ask a thoughtful one? It was as if the girls all believed any interaction between Anne and Gilbert was some mutual declaration of love. Anne was all too familiar with Diana’s teasing comments about “heart-eyes” and “flirting,” but Anne frankly found the notion of her and Gilbert as potential lifemates to be ridiculous. They were friends now, and friends should be allowed to at least participate in each other’s class presentations! Miss Stacy had continued on to the next lesson, but Anne spent the afternoon plotting out a way to satisfy her scientific curiosity without incurring the wrath of Josie Pye or the whispers of her classmates.

* * *

       Anne was positively going to die with curiosity, having spent the eternity of an afternoon waiting to finally ask Gilbert her questions. When Miss Stacy finally dismissed class, Anne was deliberately slow to pack up her belongings. As Anne had predicted, Ruby and the others were racing to leave so they could relive the excitement from her encounter with Gilbert. Normally, Anne would enjoy being included in the romantic gossip, but today she had other plans. Diana gave Anne a confused look from the classroom door. “Anne, aren’t you going to come with us?”

       “Sorry, my Dearest Diana, but I’m afraid Marilla needs me at Green Gables straight away this afternoon.” Diana shot a knowing glance towards Gilbert before waving a final goodbye and running to catch up with the other girls. It pained Anne to lie to her closest bosom friend, but she didn’t want Diana coming up with any more outlandish theories about her and Gilbert.

       The boy in question was putting on his coat when Anne approached him in the mud room. Anne ignored how her heart seemed to beat a little more fervently and how her next words seemed to spew forth at a much faster rate than usual. “Youdidanamazingjobtodaygilbert!”

       Gilbert scrunched his face in confusion. (Anne didn’t think it was adorable whenever he did that, she really didn’t.) “What was that?”

       Anne sighed and rolled her eyes. “I _said_ , you did an amazing job today, Gilbert. That was an excellent presentation.” Gilbert’s smile seemed to light up his entire face, causing Anne to panic. “Of course, you’ve made it that much more difficult for me to find something worth sharing with the class, so thanks for _that._ ”

       Gilbert smirked at Anne’s usual competitive ways. “I have a feeling you’ll rise to the challenge, Miss Shirley-Cuthbert.”

       Anne smiled softly at his gaze before quickly remembering her original intent. “Right, well, I am positively _bursting_ with curiosity and have a million questions to ask you!”

       Gilbert finished collecting his winter gear, securing his cap with a smile. “How about I answer them while I walk you home?”

       Anne cursed the heat of the schoolhouse, for surely that was the only reason for her cheeks to betray her like this. “Why, thank you, Gilbert. That would be an acceptable plan.” Anne replied primly before hurrying into the cool outdoors, missing the knowing smile from her teacher as they left.

       The walk seemed to fly by as Anne peppered her companion with questions. Gilbert explained how the stethoscope magnified the acoustics of the body, how you could hear if there was fluid in a lung just by tapping it, how reflexes were actually related to the nervous system in the brain, and more. Anne was enraptured by the new information, and she couldn’t help her excitement as they strolled through Avonlea. “Oh, I just find medical science to be so _romantical_ , don’t you? I can’t even imagine what it must be like to _hear_ a heartbeat!” Anne stopped in confusion as Gilbert suddenly paused his walk. He rummaged through his black bag for a moment before pulling out the stethoscope.

       “Would you like to find out?” Anne’s eyes lit up at Gilbert’s offer, gingerly accepting the treasured tool.

       “What do I do?” Anne held the device in amazement.

       “Well, you just put these in your ears, like this…” Anne tried not to think of their proximity as Gilbert tenderly guided Anne’s hands to put on the stethoscope. The world immediately felt as if she was underwater; everything sounded oddly muffled. Anne vaguely heard Gilbert mention something about placing a diaphragm on his chest before he suddenly lifted his layers of clothing and placed the device right above his heart. Anne was shocked by the sudden soundtrack of life pouring through the ear pieces, the steady _lub-dub_ reflecting the nature of the individual in front of her. She felt an overwhelming warmth flood through her as a result of the miraculous symphony, which had nothing to do with the discovery of how several months of manual labor on a ship had shaped Gilbert’s body into that of a young man. Anne beamed at him. “It’s incredible!” Gilbert laughed before removing the stethoscope, readjusting his clothes with a slight blush. Anne removed the ear pieces and carefully handed the instrument back to her friend. “I can’t believe you know how to use this!”

       Gilbert laughed, resuming their earlier pace. “This is nothing! If you want something truly exciting, you should try delivering a breech baby in a hut in Trinidad.” Anne’s eyes widened even further as she begged Gilbert to share the tale with him. She listened in amazement until they finally reached the gates of Green Gables. Gilbert concluded his story, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyway…”

       Anne impulsively grabbed his hand, looking at him with earnest. “Gilbert, what you did saved that woman’s life and her baby’s. It was incredibly brave.” She smiled as the color once again rose in Gilbert’s cheeks. Releasing his hand, Anne tried to clear some of the tension. “So, delivering babies, measuring blood pressure, listening to breath sounds… any other fun skills you’ve learned?”

       Gilbert returned her smile. “Actually, I’ve also learned how to find a pulse.” Gilbert recaptured Anne’s hand, turning it over before gently pressing two fingers to her wrist. “There it is. Of course, you can also feel it right…” Anne’s breath hitched as Gilbert delicately placed two fingers on her neck. “Here. Hmm, that’s interesting.” Anne didn’t need a mirror to know her face mimicked a tomato as she felt trapped in Gilbert’s intense stare.

       “What?” Anne breathed out.

       “Your pulse is a little fast.” Gilbert had the audacity to give Anne a small smirk, who did not need a future doctor to point out that her heart was inexplicably racing. Anne was paralyzed, feeling like Gilbert’s soft touch was the only thing anchoring her to reality. Gilbert’s hand moved from her neck to tenderly caress her jaw, one thumb brushing against her cheek. Time seemed to slow as a foreign force of gravity began to draw them closer together.

       The sudden _crash_ of a door sprung the pair apart, each teenager blushing furiously. Anne regained the power of speech first. “I, uh, I should get inside. Marilla will have my hide if I’m late.”

       Gilbert seemed to snap out of a daze. “Right! Of course!” He started to walk away before suddenly whipping back around. “Wait! I almost forgot!” Anne’s eyebrows knit together in confusion as Gilbert searched through his bag before pulling out a textbook. “I, uh, I heard you mention that Marilla’s sight was bothering her, so I borrowed this book from Dr. Ward. It’s about opthamology, the study of eyes.” Anne held the book as if it was a precious bible before looking back to Gilbert who, for once, couldn’t seem to meet her gaze. “When, uh, when my father was ill, it was really frustrating to not know what was going on. I’ve found that fear of the unknown can most easily be combated by a good book.” He finally looked at Anne with a bashful smile.

       Anne was taken aback by this extraordinary act of kindness. She had barely spoken to Diana about her concerns regarding Marilla’s health, yet Gilbert had somehow known the best way to assuage her fears. Perhaps they were greater kindred spirits than she had realized. “Gil, I… I don’t know what to say. Thank you!” She beamed at him for a moment before suddenly lifting on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. Her face was burning as she returned to the ground. “You’re going to make an incredible doctor, Gilbert.” Anne barely had time to register the awestruck look on Gilbert’s beet-red face before she raced inside Green Gables. Anne slammed the door shut before leaning against it, clutching her valued gift to her chest. She slowly peeled herself away to peek through the window curtains, watching Gilbert stroll towards his home with a new bounce in his step. Gilbert didn’t need a stethoscope; Anne was pretty sure he could hear her heart hammering all on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I positively love these two, and I've loved enjoying all the new content from this incredible fandom.
> 
> I'm on tumblr at thatwasnerdy if you want to scream about Shirley with me!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm about to go to medical school myself, and I totally relate to Gilbert's desire to soak up as much medical knowledge as possible. I also feel like Miss Stacy is a huge proponent of show-and-tell. Also, all of these tools were actually created in the late 1800s, so they really would be state-of-the-art. (How does some random teenager get a hold of them, you may ask? I have no idea.) 
> 
> "Fun" fact: high blood pressure can be a contributing factor to TB, and some patients do present crackling lung sounds. (Sorry for the foreshadowing, my sweet Ruby.)


End file.
